The Type R's status was established in 1996 when the EK9 was launched, but these days, fans get to experience the turbocharged FK8.
With rivals such as the Subaru and Hyundai hot on its heels, it has had to adapt and adopt traditional turbo power in favour of high-revving naturally aspirated engines. It has also ramped up a level in the comfort stakes.
The prototype of the 2022 model has been released, and we can safely say current fans of the car will be more than pleased.
The existing version only landed in showrooms three years ago and has recently undergone a minor transformation, but Japanese car manufacturers tend to work on a shorter cycle, typically changing things up every four to five years rather than the eight-year period demonstrated by European rivals.
Sneak peeks of the new model have shown that Honda has stuck to a tried-and-tested model that they know works and will fly off the forecourt when it hits in 2022. It is larger, that is for sure, showing a visibly longer wheelbase and a more pronounced front overhang.
They appear to have adopted an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary approach to the design - the fastback body design is still very much there, as is the iconic large rear wing and large front splitter. We can also see that the new car will feature a centre exit exhaust pipe as featured on the current model.
We know that Honda is going for electrification of their vehicles, but this won't apply to the Civic Type-R, as this is only being pushed on their main European line,
When approached about the potential electrification of the Civic Type-R, the senior vice president at Honda Europe, Tom Gardener confirmed that no significant changes are going to be made in this aspect, "We have our main pillars that are going to be electrified. Clearly, we have a very famous product, such as the derivative of the Civic, which I guess is what you are referring to in the Type R, but no decisions have been made on that yet".
They have rejected the hybrid tech and stuck steadfastly to its turbocharged four-cylinder setup, which currently produces a pretty decent 316 horsepower. We expect that there may be a few performance-related tweaks here and there, but they will keep with the six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive set up.
Honda has also taken the decision to move production of the new Honda Civic Type-R from its Swindon factory to Japan.
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